


A shoulder to lean on

by Multifandom_damnation



Category: Scream Street
Genre: Best Friends, Canon - Book, Dreams and Nightmares, Family Dynamics, Gen, Insomnia, Panic Attacks, Post Book Series: Scream Street, Post-Canon, Self-Esteem Issues, Sleepovers, Team as Family, based on the book not the cartoon, but i suppose it can be read either way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-13 18:27:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17492999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Multifandom_damnation/pseuds/Multifandom_damnation
Summary: It's not uncommon for people to need a shoulder to lean on or a shoulder to cry on. Especially not in Scream Street.And after another bad night filled with nightmares and tears and heartache, for Resus, Cleo and Luke are both willing to be shoulders to sleep on if it means helping their best friend through such a heart time in his life that nobody else seems to understand in the slightest.





	A shoulder to lean on

**Author's Note:**

> I know nobody is even going to read this because I doubt anyone knows what the hell Scream Street even is, but I loved this series from the first moment I read the books and after revising them recently, I gave writing them a shot. What better way to start work in a new fandom than my traditional and trademark pain and suffering with a hint of hurt/comfort and loving friendships.
> 
> So, if any of you actually do read this, I hope you like it and that I didn't fuck up my favourite monstrous children (too badly).

The town was quiet at such a time of the night, Cleo and Luke still rubbing the sleep from the corners of their eyes when Resus’s parents knocked loudly on the Watson’s front door and frantically explaining that their son was missing. Luke had yawned, reassured them that he would find Resus and bring him home safe, then went to fetch Cleo.

Cleo wasn’t at all surprised when Luke had told her, the act a common occurrence, and she left a note for her dad in case he woke up and she was still gone.

Together they walked in silence through the darkened town, careful not to disturb Doug, sleeping in a gutter or the pair of zombie legs that stuck out of the ground like fence posts, both of which definitely didn’t belong to Doug. “This would be so much easier if he just talked about it every now and again,” Cleo muttered without heat, pulling her winter coat closer around her shoulders. “And even more so if he told his parents so they didn’t freak out every time it happens.”

“We can’t force him to do anything he doesn’t want to,” Luke said absently, more pre-occupied by looking around for any signs of unwanted eves-droppers or Dixon in disguise. And unless Resus was hiding behind the rotten wood of the thin, scraggly trees that sprouted from the soil or an abandoned house, he wasn’t anywhere on the way. “And you know his parents… they wouldn’t understand.”

Expectantly, they found him in his usual place crouched behind Eefa’s shop with his fake plastic fangs held in his hands and his eyes off in the distance. There was still the faint sheen of sweat that the crisp night air hadn’t yet managed to dry away and tear tracks still streaked through his pale white makeup. As they approached, Luke cleared his throat, starting Resus out of his thoughts and their friend turned towards them with a shaky smile as he quickly wiped at his eyes with his palm.

They sat down beside him, Cleo on one side and Luke on the other and sat there in silence for a couple of moments where the only sound between them was Resus’s shaky but rapid breathing and the wind whistling through the branches of the leafless trees. “Hey there,” Luke said quietly, “You alright?”

“Fine,” Resus laughed in an attempt to break the uncomfortable tension between them. He ran a heavy hand down his face. “Just a bad night.”

“Nightmares?” Cleo asked, absently wrapping and unwrapping the bandages around her hand. Resus still had his eyes fixed on the floor, but he nodded, and Cleo sighed out through her nose. “I thought so.”

Luke was staring at the plastic fangs Resus held loosely in his hands, stark against the black of his pyjamas and his cloak, and he reached over to cover them with his own hands. It was so odd seeing Resus without his fangs in his mouth, even though he wasn't a real vampire, the fangs were such a prominent feature that Luke often forgot he wasn't one at all. “Clip them back in man.” Luke encouraged and reluctantly Resus placed them back against his teeth where he fitted them into place. “That’s better. Do you want to talk about it?”

Resus closed his eyes and leant his head against the wall. “It’s the same as usual. I wake up one day, my parents hate me, the town doesn’t accept me anymore, I get run out, put on trial for my sins and the imprisoned for the crime of living among you while I’m nothing but human and I live on my own until I die. Same old same old.”

Tutting, Luke put a comforting arm around his friend. “Is it getting worse though?”

“Oh yeah, tonight you tried to kill me and then drag my dead body into a coffin. A real coffin, like the ones mum and dad sleep in, not the one I use.” Resus shuddered. “I hate coffins. My heart feels like I’m in one right now actually,” He tapped his chest with his open palm. “Hurt’s to breathe.”

Sighing, Cleo leant her head on his shoulder and Luke moved his arm to give her space. “That’s the benefit of having your organs in the fridge. You don’t get panic attacks.”

“But you still get nightmares.” Resus pointed out. “I distinctly remember a rather vivid one and some scary guy called the Nightwatchman.” They all shivered at the memories the name dug up. “So your organs being in the fridge doesn’t help with everything.”

“No, but I’m covered in bandages.” Cleo joked and elbowed Resus in the rips. He frowned and rubbed at the spot, pretending that she’d hurt him. “Which means I can fix everything. Wounds, a broken heart, a bad day. Bandages are the universal sign for healing, you know.”

“I thought that was a red plus sign.” Resus teased back. “Or a freaky rod with snakes on it.”

Rolling his eyes, Luke moved his arm so he could place his arm on Cleo’s other shoulder and pull them both into a large, warm hug. “Back on topic you two.” He said and his friends immediately sobered. “I know you don’t want to, but you should probably tell your parents. It’s freaking them out, suddenly finding you gone in the middle of the night without letting them know you’re out.”

“And tell them what?” Resus scoffed. “That their son is not _only_ a failure and a disgrace but is also a scaredy-cat? No thanks, I don’t want that hanging over my head for the rest of my life. You might as well hand me a death sentence, or an eviction notice.”

Cleo narrowed her eyes and glared at the dark bags under Resus’s eyes. “You look like you haven’t slept a wink all night. Or the last couple of nights, really.” She poked him in the side. “I thought you asked Eefa to make you the sleeping draft?”

“I did but I ran out of it weeks ago.” Resus shrugged at his friend’s glares. “What? It’s not like she made me an endless supply of the stuff. I can only make do with what I’ve been given.”

“You should have asked her for another order.” Luke murmured. “Or one of us could have done it, but you didn’t even tell us.”

“That’s the new rule,” Cleo demanded. “You need to tell us whenever you’re having a hard time. I’m the oldest, so I make all the decisions.”

Frowning, Resus tilted his head. “Yeah, that tracks.” He winked at Cleo which did nothing to soothe her worry. “I was going to argue but you're like, 6000 years old or something, right? But to be fair, if you made _all_ the decisions, we'd be dead within a week.” He snorted and ducked when she made a swipe for his head. “Hey! Stop it. It took me a long time to get my hair looking this good.”

“Don’t laugh this off Resus.” Luke leaned further into his friend, hoping the worry on his face wasn’t seen in the darkness. “It’s a pretty big thing. We need to talk about this more regularly if it’s become such a big problem.”

“I mean.” Resus retorted. “I don’t know if this technically classifies as a ‘problem’ yet. More like a pain in the ass.”

“No.” Cleo sighed and sagged deeper into Resus. “This is defiantly problem territory. I’m calling it a problem.” He pouted but she continued, regardless. “I know you find it hard to talk about it but do you have any idea what could be causing these bad dreams?”

Resus ran his tongue over the fake teeth and pressed the meat of the muscle into the points, wincing at the pain. “I don’t know guys. I’m twelve years old, _you’re_ twelve years old.” He hit Luke lightly in the chest. “And you’re not much better.” He hugged Cleo closer to him and she rolled her eyes in response. “We’ve been through so much crazy crap that none of our parents could even claim they’ve gotten close to. We’ve nearly been eaten alive by trolls, digested by a giant ancient Egyptian sandworm, survived a damn dragon, made it through the Underlands with our sanity. So much crazy stuff man, and I don’t know… it feels like we just glossed over it but I think it’s all really messed up.” He ran a hand through his hair, effectively making his earlier statement about his hairdo redundant. “I wouldn’t change it for the world but sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I didn’t have all these things giving me nightmares and keeping me up at night.”

“I’m sorry.” Luke sighed. “You guys wouldn’t have had to go through all that if it wasn’t for me. Your lives were totally normal before I came to Scream Street.”

“And totally boring.” Cleo interrupted with a smile on her lips. “Zombies bursting through our front yards and a skeleton teaching us biology with his own bones were normal for us. My dad’s a mummy and Resus’s parents are both vampires. We were even used to Sir Otto Sneer and Dixion. If you hadn’t arrived when you did, I was sure I was going to die again from boredom.”

“Yeah, I never would have found a use for all the crap in my cloak!” Resus beamed, shoving his hand deep into the folds and pulling out some odd plant-like heart, dripping with green goop and wrapped in vines. Cleo made a face and turned her head away to gag into her fist. “I don’t even remember where I got this but it’s been in there for a while. It’s starting to smell too.”

“Even so.” Luke continued with a small smile pulling at the corners of his lips. “We wouldn’t have been such screw-ups if I didn’t drag you out on so many of my crazy adventures.”

Cleo rolled her eyes and placed her hand over Luke’s, gripping it tightly between her bandaged fingers. “If we didn’t want to go with you we would have refused as soon as you suggested it. And besides- it was the time of our lives while it was happening!”

Laughing, Resus shook his head. “Yeah, it might have been the biggest mistake in our entire lives, but we agreed to come regardless. It was the best adventure I could ever have wished for.” He sighed and closed his eyes. “Now my only wish is to close my eyes and fall asleep before this night is over.”

As he spoke, a back door to the Emporium opened silently and a thin hand with perfectly manicured nails appeared in the doorway. A wand was waved above Resus’s head and blue mist floated down from it, coating Resus in the dust. Resus’s eyes dropped shut and his head began to sag and soon he was asleep on Luke’s shoulder. Looking up, Luke smiled at the witch standing in the doorway, a wand held delicately in her hand. “Thank’s Eefa.” With a small bow and a wink, Eefa disappeared back into the shop and closed the door behind her. Luke glanced at Cleo who was gently running her hands through her friend’s hair while he slept. “Come on, let’s get him home.”

There was a faint hiss through the air and suddenly Alston Negative stood before them with a small yet sad smile on his face and his hands crossed over his chest. “I believe I can be of some assistance.” Slowly, he reached down and carefully lifted Resus into his arms, cradling his son gently as he turned away and began to lead the others back towards number 14.

Inside, both of Luke’s parents were seated at the dining table with Bella and Niles, who had apparently woken up and found the note while his daughter was gone. They all looked up and smiled in greeting when they walked in and Bella ran her long-nailed fingers through her son's hair when he came close. “Thank you for taking such good care of him.” Bella sighed. “I only wish that he wouldn’t have to suffer so much so suddenly.”

“Don’t worry,” Luke reassured. “I have a feeling the Eefa is making him some more sleeping draft as we speak.”

“And we won’t abandon Resus,” Cleo added with a firm nod and her hand on her hip. “No matter what happens, we’re not leaving him, because he’s never left our side in the whole time we’ve known him.”

Niles chuckled from where he sat beside Mr Watson and sipped at his lotus flower tea. “I had a feeling you would say that. Your sarcophagus is upstairs in Resus’s bedroom. I thought a sleepover would be a good idea after such a bad night.” Both Bella and Alston gave him a grateful smile.

“Your sleeping bag is upstairs too, Luke.” Mrs Watson smiled. “We wouldn’t want you missing out, would we?”

Grinning, both Cleo and Luke rushed to hug their parents and wished them goodnight before following Alston up the stairs and into Resus room. Alston placed his son into the coffin and gently kissed him on the forehead before leaving the children alone in the room.

They moved in silence for a few moments, nothing but the rustling and bumping of them getting comfortable within their respective beds. Luke zipped up the sleeping bag and Cleo moved the lid atop the sarcophagus so it was easier to close. “Do you think he’ll be alright?” she asked into the remaining silence.

Luke turned his head to look at his friend, peacefully sleeping for the first time in a very long time, his face the epitome of relaxation. “I don’t know.” He answered honestly and when Resus subconsciously stuck his tongue out the corner of his mouth, Luke smiled. “But we’re going to be here to help him through whatever this is, and then he will be eventually.”

Laughing slightly, Cleo reached up and pulled the golden lid onto her sarcophagus. “Goodnight.” She said through the thick layers of gold, her voice muffled and slightly echoed.

“Goodnight Cleo,” Luke said back before turning to face Resus’s coffin and matching his breathing to his friends even snores. He closed his eyes found himself feeling safe and calm surrounded by his two best friends and he could only hope that they felt the same way. “Goodnight Resus.”


End file.
